Beth Norris–Advice for Pokemon Lovers

Welcome to my blog! What’s your name, and do you have any nicknames?
My full name is Elizabeth Renee Norris. I go by Beth. My cousins call me Beffy sometimes or Beff. If my friends want to get under my skin, they call me Bethany. They know I hate it because my real name is ELIZABETH. Not. Bethany.

What is your occupation?
I currently work as a Box Office Representative at Flat Rock Playhouse. Yes, I worded this very specifically to make it sound fancy. It’s not, but being a theatre lover, the perks are everything. Some people think sneaking into tech rehearsal would be boring but I would rather sit in a dark theatre watching them run a single transition twenty times than be just about anywhere else.

Where do you live?
With my grandma. I graduated from college a year and a half ago and the same week she broke her leg. I moved in with her to help and then just didn’t want to leave her alone again. Now my aunt is talking about her moving grandma in with them and I am searching for a house to rent with friends. But that requires one of them to find a job down here and that is proving difficult.

Where could we find you on the internet?
I just did a social experiment where a stranger tried to find out as much as they could based on my Facebook. The details are a bit scary and I mean, they dug for info. Even went back a couple years… But for the most part, my Facebook is just filled with pictures and memes and stuff. So if people want to learn about my love for cats and Disney (respectively) or my obsession with Sailor Moon and/or musical theatre, by all means, check out my Facebook.

What’s the appeal of Sailor Moon?
You know, I watched it as a kid and I think the draw at the time was the sparkly costume transformations and the fact it’s an all girl super hero group but I think what gets me about it now is that their strength comes from love and friendship. I have always been fiercely loyal and protective of my friends and I think I gain strength in my life from those around me, too. I think we all do, our people are our support groups. The show helps me believe that compassion is all we need to make the world a better place. Especially in today’s world, it’s encouraging to me to see a main character that is so positive and determined to save everyone. Even the bad guys if they want to change.

How old are you?
Twenty-seven. In a couple weeks. Or maybe by the time this gets published, my answer could be “Twenty-seven. As of a few weeks ago.”

This will publish in early July. When’s your birthday? Never mind, because I’ve taken you at your word and ruthlessly pillaged your Facebook page. June 21st. Happy almost your birthday (as of this writing)! You’ll definitely be 27 then.

“Facebook stalker.”

Sad but true. I’ve ALSO found out from Facebook that we have a Pokemon expert handy, which is cool because I’ve honestly been wanting to find one to interview. Can I ask you to offer some advice to Pokemon lovers?
Ok… so here’s the thing. I don’t believe in anything after the third series (Johto if you are talking cartoon series, Crystal if you’re talking games) because after the second set of Pokemon, they just started getting ridiculous. In my heyday, when it was the original 150 Pokemon, I could recite them all in order from memory. Then they added a few new ones like Merrill and Togepi and then they had a whole new group with like, Chikorita and Cyndiquil. That’s like, over 300. Now, there’ve been three or four MORE sets so the total number is somewhere between seven and eight HUNDRED Pokemon. So my advice if you want to get into this: drop everything else. You have A LOT of catching up to do. Or just be a purist like me. Stop after a couple seasons.

As for the new Pokemon Go game. I was all about it. I was like “yeah! I’m gonna walk and get exercise and it’s gonna be fun because I’m playing a game and I’m gonna catch em all! All original 150 Pokemon!” ….then we found out that you can only get certain Pokemon on other continents. So you can’t catch them all unless you can travel. THEN they added the next generation so now not only can you not get the last few you need to complete your Pokedex but now you also are basically starting over. You only had five left? Whoops. Now you have to get one hundred and five! So advice to people regarding the Pokemon Go? Save money. Do some research. Plan a trip overseas to complete your Pokedex. If you can’t do all that, don’t even get hooked because it’s unwinnable.

Favorite book, or movie, or television show?
SO HARD. Ok. Books. I like series, like not so much stand alone books. So Harry Potter, of course. But also, I LOVE the Circle Series by Ted Dekker. It’s four books and I can’t remember the order… But I think it’s black, red, white, green. (I have the first three in one book so I don’t have to know the order. But I know green is last.)

Similarly, I like TV better than movies because the story continues. I like anything Shonda Rimes touches (Grey’s Anatomy, How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal, The Catch). Gold. All of it. And I just finished Game of Thrones. The new season comes out in July and I can’t wait. I’m obsessed. TARGARYEN FOR THE WIN.

If people want to pray for you, they could pray for…?
Direction. I find myself very comfortable in life right now and I know it won’t stay that way forever. Change is coming so I’m trying to figure out what comes next for me. So open doors and willingness and courage to walk through them.

One thing many people don’t know you can do?
I can cross one eye and then switch to the other eye in one movement. It freaks people out so I don’t do it often. Lol

If you had any spare time, what would you do with it?
Apart from what I do now? My free time is spent doing theatre. I think I’m currently in my 21st show in fiveish years. If I had more time I would do and see more theatre. I can’t ever see all the shows I want to. Because of the show I’m in now (*shameless plug* Brevard Little Theatre’s production of “Urinetown,” June 22nd-July 2nd) I am missing two other productions I really want to see in the Greenville and Asheville area….

Now, if I had more free time AND a million dollars?I would be in New York watching everything on Broadway, off Broadway, off OFF Broadway, just soaking in everything.

Either that or chilling on a yacht in the Mediterranean. It’s a toss up really.

Out of the numerous shows you’ve done, can you pick one production that was one of your favorite experiences and tell us why?
Oh, man. There are so many. Hmmmm, well at this moment, I would probably have to say “Godspell” at Brevard Little Theatre last year. It challenged me to grow as a person. I gained so much confidence in myself through that show and it was such a close knit group of people by the end of the experience. And I normally wouldn’t bring this up but it was a huge part of the experience- I’m a Christian and obviously there is a religious element to a show called GODspell, so the fact that we were all doing something we love (theatre) AND we were presenting a story that meant so much to each of us personally (I’m 98% sure everyone else is a believer too from the discussions we had and just getting to know everyone) it was a bonding experience unlike any other show I’ve ever been in.

I mean, I’ve been in some amazing theatre spaces with nice equipment (“Peter Pan”” in Anderson, SC was wonderful and “Into the Woods” at North Greenville University was a gorgeous show) but as a performer, my experience in Godspell has set a new bar.

Pet peeve?
I hate bumper stickers. I get it. You like something. But you don’t HAVE to plaster your car with it. Cars are expensive and it devalues them. One day, I’ll be proud of my honor roll kid too. But I’ll stick it on their backpack or something. Not my car.

Beth, thank you so much for letting us get to know you a little bit. Break a leg with the theatre adventures and thanks for the Pokemon expertise and advice. God bless.